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silversage New Bee
Joined: 01 Apr 2013 Posts: 4 Location: montana, usa
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Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 6:38 pm Post subject: Questions about grid spacing |
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As an experiment, I'm working on building a hexagonal, perone style hive and was having some thoughts/questions about the comb grid. The PDF I have about making a perone hive cites the grid spacing based on helping keep the brood and cluster warm. Where I live we get a couple months in the 90s F and have weeks of below 0 F in the winter and a fair bit of wind, low humidity. Would I possibly want a slightly different grid? I was wondering about a solid lid for the brood area with holes in it for bee access to the supers, but that might be going overboard a bit. The brood area is made from 1 inch thick oak if that makes any difference. |
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catchercradle Golden Bee

Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 1500 Location: Cambridge, UK
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:15 am Post subject: |
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The bees will arrange the comb below the grid so that the ventilation suits them IMHO.
When I think of the number of different places I have seen them set up shop and manage it reminds me of how much of hive design is based around the beekeeper's convenience. |
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Wintering New Bee
Joined: 09 May 2016 Posts: 9 Location: Sonoma County, CA
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Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:36 am Post subject: Re: Questions about grid spacing |
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silversage wrote: | As an experiment, I'm working on building a hexagonal, perone style hive and was having some thoughts/questions about the comb grid. The PDF I have about making a perone hive cites the grid spacing based on helping keep the brood and cluster warm. Where I live we get a couple months in the 90s F and have weeks of below 0 F in the winter and a fair bit of wind, low humidity. Would I possibly want a slightly different grid? I was wondering about a solid lid for the brood area with holes in it for bee access to the supers, but that might be going overboard a bit. The brood area is made from 1 inch thick oak if that makes any difference. |
That temperature swing seems doable for a Perone so long as it's well established when it hits freezing. I'd do regular spacing on the grid and if you're concerned about the cold go with a Warre-type quilt on the outside. As far as the heat goes the bees should keep it ventilated. |
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